


Wouldn’t it be Good (to be on your side)

by mizface



Series: PiP future fic [2]
Category: Pretty In Pink (1986)
Genre: Gen, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-19
Packaged: 2018-01-09 07:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizface/pseuds/mizface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steff had yet to make the call, even though he'd had Duckie's number for weeks. He’d never taken Duckie seriously back in high school – how could he find him intimidating now, without even having seen the man since graduation?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wouldn’t it be Good (to be on your side)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lucifuge5](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucifuge5/gifts).



> From a birthday prompt given by the amazing Lucifuge5 (who can sic bunnehs on you like nobody's business). She asked for Steff and Duckie - a new friendship. Because Steff knows how important Duckie is to Andie, he'd probably want to make amends, right?
> 
> Title from "Wouldn't it be Good" (from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack) by Nik Kershaw

It wasn’t hard at all to track down on Phil “Duckie” Dale. But Steff found that acting on that contact information was, annoyingly, a lot more daunting. He’d had Duckie’s address and phone number for weeks, the card tucked into his wallet, taunting him whenever he opened it. It was stupid, ridiculous. He’d never taken Duckie seriously back in high school – how could he find him intimidating now, without even having seen the man since graduation?

 _Please,_ his inner voice sneered, _you know damn well why you won’t make that call. You actually need something from him, and it isn’t something your money can buy._

Steff flipped the card around, spinning it a couple of times before sighing and starting to put it away once again.

No.

It was just a phone call, and to someone who called himself _Duckie_ , for Christ’s sake. He wasn’t anyone to be afraid of. He wasn’t _anyone_. He was… he was…

He was Andie’s best friend. And that meant he was the one person Steff had to talk to, if he wanted to continue his relationship with Andie. Because if Duckie disapproved of Steff as anything other than a casual friend for her, Steff had no doubt that was all they’d ever be. And that? Was becoming more unacceptable with every movie, or dinner, or phone call they shared.

Before he could stop himself, Steff dialed the number and hit the call button. He half-hoped it would go to voicemail. But then he’d have to leave a message, and that might honestly be even worse.

A click interrupted his thoughts. Steff was slightly mortified to feel his pulse speed up. 

“Hello?”

 _Oh Jesus._ He should have thought this through better. What could he say that wouldn’t make this seem like the pathetic request for approval that it was? 

“Hello?”

Steff took a breath and answered. “Phil Dale? It’s Steff McKee.” He chuckled, hoping it sounded self-deprecating. “I know, last person you expected to hear from, right?”

Duckie’s laugh sounded much more amused than Steff liked. “Oh no, I pretty much figured I’d be hearing from you sooner or later.”

That didn’t bode well. “Really.”

“You’ve been not-dating Andie for how long now? Honestly, I thought you’d have called weeks ago.”

Steff blinked. “Is that what she calls it? Not-dating?”

“You’d have to ask Andie that. Unless that’s why you’re calling?” Steff could practically see Duckie smirk as he continued. "Is this where I pass the note that says _Do you like me or like me like me? Check one?_ ”

“This isn’t school,” Steff scowled.

“No, it isn’t,” Duckie agreed, sounding much more serious. “If it was, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Or any conversation, for that matter. So, want to tell me why you called?”

No, he really, really didn’t. “Did it not occur to you that it might be for professional reasons?”

“Nope,” Duckie replied matter-of-factly. “ _Are_ you calling about business?”

Steff fought a sigh. “No. But it’s nothing as juvenile as you’re making it either.”

“Okay then, you tell me why you called. I promise to behave like a mature adult.”

Steff doubted that, but kept it to himself. “You’re Andie’s best friend.” 

“Yes, I am.” 

“She listens to you.”

“So you want me to put in a good word for you?” 

“No,” Steff huffed. “Why on earth would you do that? Andie would never believe you if you - it doesn’t matter. No, I don’t need you to put in a good word for me.”

“Then what do you need me to do?”

There it was. And suddenly, Steff knew what to say. “Don’t put in a bad word. After all, we haven’t seen each other in years. You know who I was, but not who I am.”

“Okay. Fair point. So you’re saying you’ve changed?”

“Probably not as much as I should have, in some people’s opinion.” That got a chuckle from Duckie, and Steff found himself relaxing, just a bit. Maybe this would work. “I know Andie’s a grown woman, fully capable of making her own decisions. Hell, she’s always been more than capable of that. But I also know she trusts you. And that any dislike of me that you have is no doubt for entirely good reasons.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Duckie interjected. Steff let it slide.

“But those reasons are in the past,” Steff went on. “Andie sees that, I think.”

Duckie was so quiet, Steff almost missed his response. “Yeah, she does.”

Steff felt his pulse quicken again, for entirely different reasons. “Well then. I’m not asking you to trust me. That would be ridiculous. But I am asking that you trust her.”

“So you can stop _not_ -dating her.”

“If she agrees. I don’t think she will, if you tell her it’s a bad idea.”

There was silence then. For long enough that Steff was getting anxious. But he’d said his piece; it was up to Duckie to decide what to do next.

“I don’t think you’re good enough for her,” he finally said.

“I know I’m not,” Steff was quick to reply.

“Well,” Duckie said. “I suppose that’s a start.”


End file.
